Mistakes & Missteps
by starbuckfaerie21
Summary: Alex finds herself in a tricky situation and calls Joel for help.


Mistakes & Missteps

 **Disclaimer:** Sadly, I own neither _Saving Hope_ nor Daniel Gillies.

 **Pairing:** Joel & Alex (or if you prefer) Alex & Joel.

 **Rating: T**

 **Summary:** Alex finds herself in a tricky situation and calls Joel for help.

Alex Reid walked down the stairs after feeding her infant son Theo and putting her three year old daughter Charlotte down for a nap. It was almost three in the afternoon on her day off.

 _Luke's bus will be here any minute._

 _I should fix him an after-school snack._

 _Something small to tide him over until Joel gets home and we can have dinner._

 _Carrots and peanut butter._

 _Or maybe a peanut butter and jelly sandwich._

 _A bowl of mixed fruit._

She was so preoccupied thinking about nutritional snack options for her son that she didn't notice the soccer ball that he'd left on the stairs.

In seconds she was falling down the stairs and there was nothing she could do but shout in surprise as she fell.

The next thing she knew, Alex was on her stomach at the base of the stairs.

The soccer ball rolled down the stairs and into the kitchen, propelled by the force of her fall.

Alex took a deep breath and tried to push herself to her feet. But she felt a sharp pain in her left ankle as she tried to stand.

 _At least I wasn't holding the baby or Charlotte when I fell._

 _My cell phone is in my purse, which is in the kitchen._

 _I'll have to wait for Luke to get home before I can call Joel._

Seconds later Alex heard the sound of the school bus dropping off her son at the end of the driveway.

 _I usually go out to get him._

She heard her son enter the house through the front door and call, "Mommy?"

"Lucas Barrett Goran Reid," Alex replied, "How many times have I told you not to leave your soccer ball on the stairs? You're lucky I wasn't carrying your sister or your brother when I fell.

"I'm sorry, Mommy." Luke said, softly, his mouth wide with surprise at the sight of his mother on the floor. "Are you okay?" He asked running towards her as fast as his small legs would carry him.

Alex nodded, "I'm okay, little man," She said trying to keep her voice calm. "But I need you to do two things for me."

Luke nodded without taking his eyes off of his mother as he waited for instructions. "First, I need you to get your soccer ball out of the kitchen and bring it upstairs to your room.

Luke nodded, his eyes growing wet as tears ran down his cheeks, "Okay, Mommy. I will. What's the second thing?"

Alex reached out and smudged the tears from his face, "The second thing is that I need you to do is get my cell phone out of my purse and call Daddy."

 _I can never stay mad at him for too long._

 _Just like his father._

Luke nodded again and then looked at the carpet, "Do I have to tell him what I did?"

Alex smiled at her son, "Well he's going to want to know how I fell down the stairs."

"Yeah." Luke said, and then his voice got even softer to just above a whisper before he asked, "Do you think he'll be mad?"

"Maybe. I don't know, buddy. But you still have to tell him because I can't get up. And I need Daddy to come home so he can help me."

Luke nodded one last time before he headed into the kitchen to retrieve his soccer ball.

"Hey Luke?" Alex called after him, "Try not to wake up your sister and your brother, okay?"

"Okay." Luke said, picking up his backpack and heading into the kitchen.

Joel was in the on call room changing out of his scrubs to go home when his cell phone rang. He looked at the screen and smiled, "Hey, Reid, I'm on my way home. Do you want me to pick up some dinner?"

But Joel was surprised to hear soft sobs on the other end of the line, "Daddy?"

 _Why was his son calling him from Alex's phone?_

 _And why was he crying?_

 _A million possible scenarios ran through his mind, each one was worse than the last._

"Luke? What wrong, mate? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. But Mommy…" His tiny voice trailed off and was swallowed by more tears.

 _Oh God_. Joel thought, trying to keep his voice calm so he wouldn't frighten his son even more.

"Luke, talk to me, mate. What happened to Mommy? Is she okay?"

"No," Luke answered softly, "She fell down the stairs. And she can't get up…I left my soccer ball on the stairs…I'm sorry, Daddy."

 _How many times has Alex told him not to do that?_

Joel nearly laughed out loud with relief. He'd thought something had been seriously wrong.

 _Not that his wife taking a tumble down the stairs was a good thing but…_

"Hey, Luke. It's okay. I'll be home soon I promise. But I need you to put Mommy on the phone. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah, Daddy. Hold on."

There was a brief pause during which Joel could hear his son's footsteps on the stairs, then the sound of his voice as he spoke to Alex, "Daddy wants to talk to you."

After a moment he heard Alex's voice on the phone, "Hey, are you on your way home?"

Her voice sounded forced and just a little bit breathless, as if she were in pain and trying not to show it.

"Yeah. I am. Are you okay?" Joel asked.

"I tripped over Luke's soccer ball and fell down the stairs." She said, evading his question.

"I know. He told me. Alex, are you all right?" He repeated, his question more insistent this time.

"Well, I'm stranded on the living room floor so I might need you to pick up dinner on your way home."

"You got it. Chinese it is. Now tell me what hurts." Joel insisted, as he buttoned his jeans and pulled on his jacket.

"I think I sprained my ankle." She replied with a frustrated sigh.

"Okay. Don't move. I'll bring a set of crutches and an ace bandage home from the hospital for you."

"Joel baby, I don't need…"

"Yes you do, Reid. I'll be home soon. Stay put until I get there."

"Very funny. It's not like I have a choice. Theo and Charlotte will be awake soon. And I can't go upstairs and get them."

"Send Luke up to get Charlotte if she wakes up. I'll get the baby when I get home. I'll be there soon, I promise." He said, trying to reassure her.

"Okay. Hey, Joel…"

"Yes ma'am? Joel asked, just before he hung up.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." He replied, "I'll see you soon."

Less than a half an hour later, Joel unlocked the front door. He carried several bags of Chinese food under one arm and a set of crutches under the other.

He put the bags of food on the kitchen table, and leaned the kitchen against the counter.

"We've gotta stop meeting like this Reid." Joel said, smiling.

She knew he was referring to the last time she'd fallen down the stairs, when she was pregnant with Theo.

"What can I say, Dr. Goran? You married a klutz." Alex said, trying in vain to push herself up on her elbows.

"A beautiful klutz," Joel said, leaning down to kiss her. "Are Charlotte and Theo up yet?"

Alex shook her head, "No. Thank God, I wasn't holding either of them when I fell."

 _Her first thought is always our children._

 _Even when she's hurt._

"Let's get you up off this floor, Reid. I need to take a look at that ankle. Can you put any weight on it at all?"

"I tried to get up about a dozen times. Every time I do it feels like my whole leg is on fire."

As Alex spoke she rolled onto her back and sat up, taking Joel's outstretched hand.

Alex planted her feet and leaned forward in an attempt to stand. And she winced as pain radiated through her left leg.

Without a word, Joel offered her his shoulder to lean on and she took a few steps, putting most of her weight on her husband.

 _I can't stand seeing her in pain._

"Alex, this is ridiculous C'mere." One instant Joel's voice was in her ear and the next the pain eased as he effortlessly lifted her into his arm and carried her to the couch.

"Thanks. That probably would've taken all day if I'd had to walk."

Joel was silent as he examined her injured, swollen ankle. He kept his touch feather light in order to cause her as little pain as possible.

"We should get an X-Ray. But it's definitely a bad sprain. I'll wrap it and put some ice on it. But you don't move from this couch without either me or those crutches. Do you hear me, Alex Reid?"

Alex nodded.

She was in too much pain to argue.

"Mommy?" She heard Charlotte's tiny voice call from upstairs.

Alex moved to get up from the couch, but Joel's arm held her back. "I'll bring her down. You stay put."

Luke peeked his head out from the kitchen into the living room. "Hey, Daddy," He said, softly clearly still afraid that he'd be punished.

"Hey Luke, I have to go upstairs and get your sister and your brother. But I need you to go get an ice pack from the freezer and give it to Mommy for her foot. And this is the most important thing. Make sure Mommy stays on the couch."

Luke nodded and disappeared into the kitchen in search of an ice pack.

"I'll be right down to wrap that ankle." Joel whispered, pressing a kiss to Alex's forehead before he turned and headed upstairs.

Joel went upstairs into his daughter's room and delighted in the smile that crossed her face when she saw him.

"Daddy!" She screamed opening her arms to him.

"Hello, angel." Joel said, smiling back at her and picking her up. "Did you have a good nap?"

Charlotte nodded, "I'm not tired anymore, Daddy."

"That's good. Let's go downstairs and have some Chinese food okay?"

Charlotte nodded enthusiastically her dark curls bobbing up and down as she did so.

"Daddy?" Charlotte asked, wrapping her arms around her father's neck and whispering in his ear, "Is Luke in trouble? When I was sleeping I heard Mommy use all his names."

Joel smiled, "No Charlotte. Luke's not in trouble. He just made a mistake."

"A miscake?" Charlotte asked, confused.

"A _mistake_..." Joel repeated, pronouncing the word more slowly.

"What's a miscake, Daddy?" Charlotte asked.

Joel shook his head and smiled, "No, angel. Not 'C' like in 'cake.' 'T' like in 'take.' Try again."

Charlotte closed her eyes for a moment, her forehead wrinkling in concentration. "Mis…take." She whispered, pronouncing the word perfectly.

"That's right, Charlotte. Very good. A mistake is when you do something wrong but you don't _really_ mean to. Like listening with big ears while you're supposed to be sleeping."

Joel said tickling his daughter behind her tiny ears and making her giggle.

"What did Luke do, Daddy?" Charlotte asked softly.

"He left his soccer ball on the stairs and Mommy tripped on it and fell."

Charlotte looked at Joel, her tiny mouth open wide, "Is Mommy okay, Daddy."

Joel nodded, "Yeah, she hurt her foot."

"But you can fix it right, Daddy?" She asked her expression filled with hope and childish innocence.

"Yes, angel. I can. But Mommy needs to rest to get better so you and your brothers have to be extra good okay."

"Okay, Daddy."

"Good girl." Joel said, kissing her forehead as he carried her down the stairs.

Joel came back into the living room and set Charlotte down on the couch next to her mother.

"I gave Mommy the ice, Daddy." Luke said.

"Good. Thanks, mate." Joel replied, smiling at his son, and then turning to Alex.

"Is it feeling any better?" He asked, his hand gently caressing her thigh, her knee, and then her calf.

Alex shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment enjoying the mere sensation of his touch against her skin.

"The wrap will help, I promise." Joel whispered, taking the bandage from the coffee table and wrapping it around her ankle.

"Keep that foot elevated, Reid," He said reaching for one of the sofa pillows and propping her foot up onto it.

"Yes, Dr. Goran." Alex answered, rolling her eyes, "But first I have to go to the bathroom."

He handed her the crutches and watched carefully as she got to her feet.

By the time Alex came out of the bathroom, Joel had laid all the Chinese food cartons, silverware and empty plates onto the coffee table.

"Joel you can't seriously think it's a good idea to eat Chinese food in the living room?" Alex asked incredulously.

"Alex, you're supposed to be off your feet as much as possible and resting. So we brought dinner to you. And the kids promised to be extra careful not to get any food on the carpet right guys?"

Joel flashed her one of his trademark grins.

Both children nodded eagerly and smiled in between bites of Chinese food.

Seeing Joel and her son and daughter smiling like that, Alex couldn't help but smile herself, "Oh all right," She said, sitting back on the couch and filling a plate.

They all ate in silence for a few minutes until Luke spoke up, "Mommy, I'm sorry I left my ball on the stairs."

Before Alex could answer, Charlotte looked at her brother and said with perfect clarity. "It's okay Luke. You just made a mistake."

 _Out of the mouths of babes._

Alex looked across the table at Joel who was smiling.

"Charlotte Louise Goran Reid, you're too smart for your own good. Where did you learn that word?"

Charlotte swallowed the food in her mouth and shrugged her tiny shoulders before she answered, "From Daddy."

Alex laughed and looked at her son, "Your sister's right you know. Just don't do it again okay?"

Luke nodded and smiled before turning his attention back to his dinner.

When Theo's cries rang out, Joel went upstairs and changed him and then brought him downstairs while so she could feed him while Joel bathed Luke and Charlotte and helped them into their pajamas and tucked them into bed.

Alex was dozing on the couch with the baby in her arms when Joel came back downstairs.

"Alex," He whispered, gently shaking her shoulder, "You should take some ibuprofen before bed."

"I can't… The baby…"

"You can give him a bottle in the morning, Reid. Take something for pain tonight so you can get some rest."

"Yes, Doctor Goran…" She mumbled sleepily."

"Thank you, Doctor Reid," Joel answered taking the baby from her arms. "Let me go put him down and I'll help you up to bed."

"Joel, I can manage…"

She couldn't continue because his lips were on hers. "I'll be right back."

She nodded and waited until he'd gone upstairs to hobble slowly on the crutches to the kitchen to swallow two ibuprofen and used the downstairs bathroom.

By the time she reached the couch Joel was back again and he picked her up and carried her upstairs to the bedroom, placing her carefully on the bed and undressing her slowly.

His actions seemed anxious and desperate and they gave her pause. She put her hand on his shoulder before she grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head.

"Joel baby…What's wrong?" She whispered, breaking their kiss so they could talk.

"When Luke called this afternoon…When he said that you were hurt…I was terrified Alex. I thought I was going to lose you…"

Alex met his eyes and shook his head, "Joel, I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here."

She gave him a slow passionate kiss as if to prove her point.

"I made so many mistakes before. But you and the kids mean _everything_ to me, Reid. And I'm sorry."

She knew which mistakes he was referring to and when.

 _Before._

 _Before they were married._

 _Before their children were born._

 _The other women._

 _The running away._

 _The stop and start rollercoaster that their relationship had been up until six years before._

"Shh," She whispered, kissing the mole behind his ear as she spoke, "I know. Just don't do it again."


End file.
